The ban follows the March 2 action by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that prohibited the sale, possession and manufacturing of the products for one year in order to study their effects.

"DSHS is required by state law to place those chemicals on the state schedule once the DEA places it on theirs," said DSHS spokeswoman Christine Mann.

More than 80 Texas cities have already enacted ordinances against the products, but the ban announced Wednesday by the state health agency will make it effective statewide. At least 16 other states have also banned or restricted the products.

Altered version available

Available at gas stations, smoke shops and on the Internet, the products are often labeled as "herbal incense," but when smoked can mimic the effects of marijuana by giving users feelings of euphoria, sedation and relaxation. No accepted medical use for the substances has been determined.

Several local smoke shopssaid they already got rid of their stocks of K2 and Spice brand products when they were first banned by the DEA in March.

Few still carry the K2 brand, but say their products are the newer version of the incense that does not contain the illegal chemicals. One store said they got rid of all herbal incense products altogether.

600 calls to poison center

While K2 and Spice have been called out directly, most stores still carry other herbal incense brands which may or may not be legal depending on their chemical makeup.

Five chemicals found in K2 were placed in the most restrictive category of the Texas Schedules of Controlled Substances, making possession, manufacture or sale a Class A or B misdemeanor.